The apparatus of the present invention fills several needs of the prior chain saw art but the primary object of the invention is to prevent the chain from being severely dulled or even damaged when the tip of the guide bar makes accidental contact with the ground. This ground contact occurs primarily when the chain saw operator is bucking lengths of timber or lumber lying on or close to the ground and at a low level with respect to the chain saw operator. As the chain's cut in the wood progresses the operator has the tendency to change the position of the guide bar from horizontal to an angle that lowers the tip of guide bar. If the piece being cut is close enough to the ground, lowing the tip of the saw will result in the chain at tip end of the guide bar making contact with the ground and dulling, if not damaging the chain.
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple protecting device that is clamped against the sides of the tip of the guide bar that will prevent the chain that is moving around the tip of the guide bar from contacting the ground.
A second object of the invention is to provide a device that will act as a stabilizer for the guide bar of a chain saw so that the chain may easily be sharpened in the field.
A third objective of the apparatus of the present invention is to provide a safety guard against a chain that has become disengaged from the guide bar. The disengaged chain will wrap around the chain protector of the present invention instead of backlashing against the operator.
The prior art has seen devices that are mounted on the tip end of a chain saw guide blade for a variety of different purposes. U.S. Pat. No. 4,297,786 for Chain Saw Nose Guard discloses an angularly shaped plate that attaches to a hole in the distal end of the guide bar in order to prevent kickback accidents.
Another device for avoiding kickback accidents is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,015 for Chain Saw Tip Guard which shields the chain at the guide bar tip in order to eliminate contact with solid objects, using pivoting wing plates which are spring urged to clasp and surround the tip of the saw guide bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,655,304 for Guide Bar with Attached Wear Protector involves a guide bar member having a peripheral guide groove for guiding a saw chain in a peripheral direction of the guide bar in order to reduce normal wear of the chain.
Although the foregoing patents, and others, disclose devices for attachment to the tip of a chain saw guide bar for various purpose, none of the prior art publications disclose a device similar to the one of the present invention nor do they function for the same purposes.